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The Ready To Drink Podcast is built for founders, operators, and leaders navigating the next era of beverage. Hosted by twenty-year industry veteran Nate Fochtman, the show pulls back the curtain on what actually drives growth - distribution strategy, regulatory navigation, sales velocity, and consumer trust. These are honest conversations with the people doing the work, building brands that last in a crowded and regulated marketplace.
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No Scripts. No Prep. Just Real Conversations. The Leader's Arena Podcast brings you into the minds of today's most resilient and authentic leaders, dissecting the challenging choices and defining moments that separate vision from execution. Hosts Clifford Starks & Nate Fochtman engage guests in unfiltered discussions about overcoming personal and professional adversity, highlighting how vulnerability and grit translate into long-term success. Tune in for candid conversations that re-define l ...
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Nobody’s Coming: How to Stop Reacting and Start Leading Your Life | Leonne Sherr
44:57
44:57
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44:57
Most people are waiting. Waiting for the right moment. Waiting for less stress. Waiting for someone to show up and fix it. But here’s the truth: Nobody’s coming. In this episode of The Leaders’ Arena Podcast, Clifford Starks sits down with leadership coach and parenting strategist Leonne Sherr to unpack the real work of leadership - the internal wo…
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Contributing or Contaminating: A Coach, A Mentor and the Standard for Leadership | Rick Hendrickson
49:33
49:33
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49:33
This episode is personal. Rick Hendrickson isn’t a stranger to me. He’s my high school wrestling coach, a lifelong mentor, and one of the biggest reasons I understand what leadership actually looks like when no one’s watching. We talk about what it means to be a man in 2025 without the performative nonsense. We get into emotional intelligence, acco…
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How Berg Brewing Was Built Right | Brewery Strategy, Family Business, and Craft Beer Reality
27:56
27:56
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27:56
Opening a craft brewery in 2025 takes more than good beer - it takes clarity, discipline, and real strategy. In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Kyle Underkoffler, co-founder of Berg Brewing Company in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to break down what it actually takes to build a brewery from scratch in today’s …
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Building a Distillery on Heritage, Grit & Community | Yianni Barakos of Mason Dixon Distillery
34:21
34:21
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34:21
In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, I sit down on site in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with Yianni Barakos, Founder of Mason Dixon Distillery - for a raw, unscripted conversation about heritage, resilience, and what it really means to build something that lasts. Yianni shares the deep roots behind Mason Dixon Distillery, tracing his family’s…
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Entrepreneurship Is Negotiation: Survival Mode, Self-Inventory, and Real Leadership
45:25
45:25
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45:25
Most people think entrepreneurship is about strategy, hustle, and execution. It’s not. It’s negotiation. With people. With systems. And most of all, with yourself. In this episode of The Leaders Arena, former UFC & Bellator Fighter Clifford Starks and Nate Fochtman go deep into the realities founders don’t talk about: survival mode, self-inventory,…
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How Yah Brew Built a 90s-Inspired Brewery, Hoagie Shop | Ready To Drink Podcast
41:36
41:36
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41:36
Justin Hoak didn’t set out to build one of the most unique brewery models in Pennsylvania - but that’s exactly what Yah Brew has become. In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Justin breaks down how Yah Brew grew from selling crowlers at pop-ups to launching a full production facility, multiple taprooms, and a completely original 90s-themed…
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Moon Flower Hemp: Three Generations, Full Transparency, and the Fight for Real Regulation
27:02
27:02
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27:02
Moon Flower Hemp isn’t just another hemp brand - it’s a family legacy built by three generations of Appalachian women, rooted in the moment the 2018 Farm Bill cracked the door open for innovation. In this episode, I sit down with co-founders Riley and Macie Queen to talk about their beginnings, “their father’s early vision”, and the moment their on…
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Happie Beverages: Pete Olander on Building a Category, Navigating Regulation & Functional Drinks
21:59
21:59
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21:59
On this episode of Ready To Drink Podcast, I sit down with Pete Olander, founder of Happie Beverages, for one of the most candid and grounded conversations we’ve had on the show. Pete walks through the early spark that launched Happie, the years he spent in nutrition and regulated cannabis, and the unexpected realities of building a beverage compan…
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Pressure, Principles, and Leading When It Counts with Clifford Starks
54:52
54:52
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54:52
Today’s episode of The Leaders’ Arena is all about leadership under pressure. Clifford Starks and I dive into what it actually means to stand firm when the ground shifts beneath you. We talk about internal alignment, personal development, and the difference between reacting to the world and responding with intention. Clifford brings his perspective…
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Building a Brewery on the Gettysburg Battlefield: The 30-Year Story Paul Lemley
20:05
20:05
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20:05
On this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, host Nate Fochtman sits down with Paul Lemley, founder of Battlefield Brew Works in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - one of the most unique brewery and distillery destinations in America. Paul shares how he transformed an abandoned barn on the historic East Cavalry Field into a thriving brewery and distiller…
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From Garage Brewing to a Pennsylvania Landmark | The Story of South County Brewing with JR Heaps
25:55
25:55
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25:55
In this episode of Ready To Drink Podcast, host Nate Fochtman sits down with JR Heaps, founder of South County Brewing, to unpack the 15-year journey from a 300-square-foot homebrew setup in Fawn Grove to a 30,000-square-foot destination brewery in York, Pennsylvania. JR shares how the 2008 housing crash pushed him to chase his brewing dream, the e…
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The "Self-Made Millionaire" Is a Myth: This Leadership Formula Changes Everything | Timothy Morgan
58:34
58:34
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58:34
We dive deep with the brilliant Timothy Morgan, founder of Giver Marketing Network, who functions as a Fractional CMO and helps causes and companies amplify their purpose. Timothy and the hosts (Nate Fochtman and Clifford Starks) break down why authenticity and human connection are the only way to win in modern business. We hit on why relying on a …
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Why AI Can't Replace Salespeople: The Human-Centric Sales Framework | Daniel Johnson
52:29
52:29
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52:29
Is the robot takeover coming for sales? Daniel Johnson, Founder of Sovereign Sales Agency, argues that the order taker is obsolete, but the true problem-solver is irreplaceable. In this powerful episode of The Leader's Arena, Daniel dives deep into why most B2B sales teams are failing and why they need to stop relying on tech stacks to fix fundamen…
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We Ditched Alcohol for THC: The Wild West of the Hemp Beverage Market | Peri Higgins & Mike Podlogar of More Love
9:46
9:46
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9:46
Meet Mike Podlogar and Peri Higgins, Co-Founders of More Love, a hemp-derived THC sparkling beverage based in Hatfield, PA. In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast with host Nate Fochtman, Mike and Peri share their journey from successful careers (including investment banking and co-packing) to creating a nationally available alcohol alternat…
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10 YEARS to OPENING: From Server to Community Bar Owner | Corey Wolfe of Woof Bar
19:05
19:05
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19:05
Corey Wolfe's journey is a masterclass in turning long-term vision into reality. In this compelling interview on the Ready To Drink Podcast with host Nate Fochtman, Corey, the founder of Woof Bar in York, PA, dives deep into the decade-long evolution of his dream. Starting with zero connections and a server job, Corey leveraged public art projects …
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History, Ghost Stories & Craft Beer Legacy I Sam Allen of Bube's Brewery
58:01
58:01
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58:01
Step back in time with us at Bube’s Brewery in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, one of the most historic breweries in America. In this first episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, we sit down with Sam Allen, owner and storyteller, who shares the fascinating 19th-century origins of the brewery, its role during Prohibition, the evolution of craft beer, and t…
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